Seed vigor testing is a procedure for evaluating the quality of a seed lot based on visually quantifiable cues, such as speed and uniformity of seedling growth. Various specifications for seed vigor testing exist, including the Association of Official Seed Analysts Vigor Testing Handbook (1983) and International Seed Testing Association Seed Vigour Testing Handbook (1987).
Although such tests provide meaningful results to the seed community, they are not routinely performed because of labor intensiveness and subjectivity, which typically varies from seed analyst to seed analyst, even among Registered Seed Technologists (RSTs). Such subjectivity also has hindered the performance of meaningful research into seed vigor, preventing widespread use of seed vigor testing beyond a few key crops. Additionally, the known existing systems for automatically determining seed vigor are overly simple and/or prohibitively expensive, requiring costly cameras and/or special hardware such as special germination chambers.